A maths teacher at a secondary school in Wembley has been honoured in front of Prime Minister David Cameron and a star studded crowd at a prestigious teaching awards.
Colin Hegarty, a maths tutor at Preston Manor School, in Carlton Avenue East, won the coveted outstanding use of technology in education accolade at the annual Pearson Teaching Awards on Sunday at London’s Guildhall.
Commenting on receiving the award, the former city accountant said: “It was a surreal experience to receive the award in front of television cameras but I am extremely happy about it.”
The 32 year-old is the mastermind behind Hegartymaths.com which features maths tutorials for pupils from year seven through to GCSE and A-level studies.
The online tutorials, in video format, aim to make students feel they are receiving one-to-one tuition from a teacher who is passionate and knowledgeable about maths.
He previously used the £20,000 he won after entering The Shine Trust’s national teaching competition to develop his website to make it more interactive and personal for pupils.
Mr Hegarty continued: “The children here (Preston Manor) have bags of energy and are receptive to good teaching, especially when working with technology.”
“The website is all about ensuring that the children have a free resource, which they can access on their computer, mobile or tablets from wherever to help with their education. It is something I am extremely proud of.”
Mr Hegarty was one of only 11 nominees from all over the UK who came up trumps across different categories at the award ceremony, which recognises and celebrates excellence in education.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here